News
A news kiosk in downtown Celaya, Mexico, 2014. Photo credit: T.G. Schurr
In this section of the website, we provide information about recent publications, awards received and achievements by LMAP researchers, and related activities in the Department of Anthropology at Penn. Details about the published studies can be found in the Research section of the website, as well as through the links associated with them that are provided below. We begin presenting News about LMAP activities starting in early 2021, when the revised website went live.
February 2021 Publication
Genetics of the Catacomb Culture
Ochir-Goryaeva MA, Kornienko IV, Faleeva TG, Aramova OY, Makhotkin MA, Kekeev EA, Burataev EG, Kukanova VV, Sidorenko YS, Chartier DR, Schurr TG, Tatarinova TV. 2021. Ancestry and identity in Catacomb culture burials: A meta-tale of graves, skeletons, and DNA. J Archeol Sci: Reports 37: 102894.
Image: A Catacomb Culture burial; Figure 2 from Ochir-Goryaeva et al. (2021)
May 2021 Publication
Anson Street African Burial Ground Project
Fleskes RE, Ofunniyin AA, Gilmore JK, Poplin E, Abel SM, Bueschgen WD, Juarez C, Butler N, Mishoe G, Oubré L, Cabana GS, Schurr TG. 2021. Ancestry, health, and lived experiences of enslaved Africans in 18th century Charleston: An osteobiographical analysis. Am J Phys Anthropol 175(1): 3-24.
Image: Reburial of the Anson Street Ancestors on 4 May 2019. Photo credit: T.G. Schurr
May 2021 Publication
Native Mexican Y-chromosome Diversity
Gómez MR, Vilar MG, Meraz MA, Figueroa-Corona P, Véliz D, Zúniga G, Hernández EA, Figueroa-Corona P, Owings AC, Gaieski JB, Schurr TG, The Genographic Consortium. 2021. Y-chromosome diversity in Aztlan descendants and its implications for the history of Central Mexico. iScience 24: 102487.
Image: Photo of the XX community in Mexico. Photo Credit: Rocio Gomez
April 2021 Publication
Y-chromosome Diversity in Khazars
Kornienko IV, Faleeva TG, Schurr TG, Aramova OY, Ochir-Goyaeva MA, Batieva EF, Vdovchenkov EV, Moshkov NE, Kukanova VV, Ivanov IN, Sidorenko YS, Tatarinova TV. 2021. Y-chromosome haplogroup diversity in Khazar burials from southern Russia. Russ J Genet 57: 477-488.
Image: The Khazars: A Judeo-Turkish Empire on the Stepps, 7th-11th Centuries AD, by Mikhail Zhirohov & David Nicolle, Illustrations by Christa Hook.
April 2021 Publication
Gullah Geechee Genomics
Zimmerman KP, Schurr TG, Chen W-M, Nayak U, Mychaleckyj JC, Quet Q, Moultire LH, Divers J, Keene KL, Kamen DL, Gilkeson GS, Hunt KJ, Sprulli IJ, Fernandes JK, Aldrich MA, Reich D, Garvey WT, Langefeld CD, Sale MM, Ramos PS. 2021. Genetic landscape of Gullah African Americans. Am J Phys Anthropol 1-15. [First published: 19 May 2021] Link
Inage: Photo of Marquetta Goodwine, also known as Queen Quet, who has been chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation since 2000. She is shown here in one of St. Helena Island’s rice fields. Photo credit: Gullah Geechee Sea Island Coalition.
June 2021 Publication
mtDNA Diversity in Norway
Kristjansson D, Bohlin J, Astanand J, Schurr TG. 2021. Matrilineal diversity and population history of Norwegians. Am J Phys Anthropol 176(1): 120–133. Link
Image: Types and costumes of Norway 1879 by Hildibrand.
June 2021 Publication
mtDNA Variation and Bioenergetics
Friedrich VK, Rubel M, Schurr TG. 2021. The role of mitochondrial genetic variation in human bioenergetics, adaptation, and adult disease. Am J Hum Biol 32:e23629. Link
Image: Overview of mitochondria-related processes; Figure 1 from Dimmer, K.S., & Rapaport, D. 2008. Proteomic view of mitochondrial function. Genome Biol 9, Article 209. https://doi.org/10.1186/gb-2008-9-2-209.
December 2021 Publication
HPV E6 and E7 Gene Variation
Totaro ME, Gili JA, Liotta JD, Schurr TG, Picconi MA, Badano I. 2021. Genetic variation in the E6 and E7 genes of human papillomavirus type 16 in northeastern Argentina. J Med Virol First published: 27 September 2021. Link
Image: From Hating et al. 2021. Microorganisms 9(5), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9050891
December 2021 Publication
Genetic Variation in Pakistani Ethnic Groups
Tariq M, Habib A, Hemphill BE, Farooq U, Schurr TG. 2022. Contrasting maternal and paternal genetic histories of five major ethnic groups of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Nature Scientific Reports 12: 1027. Link
Image: KPP House and Committee Business Officers (https://www.pips.gov.pk/capacity_building/house-and-committee-business-responsibilities-and-functions-of-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-assembly-officers-2nd-to-4th-march-2022/
February 2022 Publication
Neanderthal Fire Use
Abdolahzadeh A, McPherron SP, Sandgathe DM, Schurr TG, Olszewski DI, Dibble H. 2022. Investigating variability in the frequency of fire use in the archaeological record of Late Pleistocene Europe. Archaeol Anthropol Sci 14: 62. Link
Image: Graphic by David Williams/SAPIENS (https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/neanderthal-fire/)
March 2022 Publication
HPV Sequence Variation in Platyrrhines
Sanchez-Fernandez, C, Bolatti EM, Culasso ACA, Chouhy D, Kowalewski MM, Stella EJ, Schurr TG, Rinas MA, Liotta DJ, Campos RH, Giri AA, Badano I. 2022. Identification and evolutionary history of two novel papillomavirus sequences in New World monkeys (spp. Sapajus and Alouatta) from Argentina. Arch Virol 167: 1257-1268. Link
Image: Phylogenetic classification of novel putative PV sequences AcPV1 and SPV1 within the family Papillomaviridae; Figure 2 from Sanchez-Fernandez et al. 2022.
April 2022 Publication
Phylogeography of mtDNA Haplogroup U5
Kristjansson D, Bohlin J, Nguyen TT, Jugessur A, Schurr TG. 2022. Evolution and dispersal of mitochondrial haplogroup U5 in Northern Europe: Insights from an unsupervised learning approach to phylogeography. BMC Genomics 23: 354. Link
Image: A phylogenetic tree of haplogroup U5 mitogenome sequences; Figure 2 from Kristjansson et al. 2022.
July 2022 Publication
Genetic History of Micronesia
Liu Y-C, Hunter-Anderson R, Cheronet O, Eakin J, Camacho F, Pietrusewsky M, Rohland N, Ioannidis A, Athens JS, Douglas MT, Ikehara-Quebral RM, Bernardos R, Culleton BJ, Mah M, Adamski N, Broomandskhoshbacht N, Callan K, Lawson AM, Mandl K, Michel M, Oppenheimer J, Stewardson K, Zalzala F, Kidd K, Kidd J, Schurr TG, et al. 2022. Ancient DNA evidence reveals five streams of migrations into Micronesia and matrilocality in early Pacific seafarers. Science 377(6601): 27-29. Link
Image: Map showing five inferred streams of migration into Micronesia; Figure 1A from Liu et al. 2022
September 2022 Publication
mtDNA Diversity and Ewing Sarcoma
Kaneva K, Schurr TG, Tatarinova T, Buckley J, Merkurjev D, Triska P, Liu X, Done J, Maglinte DT, Deapen D, Hwang A, Schiffman J, Triche TJ, Biegel JA, Gai X. 2022. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup, genetic ancestry and susceptibility to Ewing sarcoma. Mitochondrion 67: 6-14. Link
Image: Symptoms of Ewing Sarcoma; diagram from Netter Images – Elsevier
November 2022 Publication
mtDNA Diversity in Kazakh Populations
Askapuli A, Vilar MG, Garcia-Ortiz H, Zhabagin M, Sabitov Z, Akilzhanova A, Ramanculov E, Schamiloglu U, Martínez-Hernández A, Contreras-Cubas C, Barajas-Olmos F, Schurr TG, Zhumadilov Z, Flores-Huacuja M, Orozco L, Hawks J, Saitou N. 2022. Kazakh mitochondrial genomes provide insight into the human population history in Central Eurasia.PLoS ONE 7(11): e0277771. Link
Image: Old Kazakh eagle hunter with his grandson. Photo credit: Audrey Jeane (https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/kazakh)
November 2022 Publication
Phylogeography of mtDNA Haplogroup J
Kristjansson D, Jugessur A, Schurr TG, Bohlins J. 2022. Phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA haplogroup J in Scandinavia. Am J Biol Anthropol 180(2):298-315. Link
Image: Phylogeographical tree of haplogroup J2; Figure 4 from Kristjansson et al. 2022
January 2023 Publication
Genomic Diversity of Anson Street Ancestors
Fleskes RE, Cabana GS, Gilmore JK, Suarez C, Karcher E, Oubré L, Ofunniyin AA, Schurr TG. 2023. Community engaged ancient DNA project reveals diverse origins of 18th century African descendants in Charleston, South Carolina. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 120(3): e2201620120. Link
Image: Painting by North Charleston High School students inspired by the reinterment ceremony for the Anson Street Ancestors. Photo credit; T.G. Schurr
February 2023 Publication
Impact of Fire on Lithic Fracturing
Abdolahzedah A, Leader GM, Li L, Olszewski DI, Schurr TG. 2023. Heat exposed lithics: An experimental approach to quantifying potlids by temperature. J Archaeol Sci: Reports 48: 103894. Link
Image: Color changes, cracking and potlidding after experimental heating. (A) dark red color after heating at 316 ◦C/600◦F for four hours; (B) dark red color and two horizontal cracks after heating at 483 ◦C/900◦F for two hours; (C) dark red color and numerous potlids after heating at 483 ◦C/900◦F for two hours. C = cracks, P = potlid. Figure 5 from Abdolahzedah et al. (2023).
February 2023 News Release
T.G. Schurr Elected as 2022 AAAS Fellow
Eight faculty from four University of Pennsylvania schools were elected 2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows. They are among more than 500 researchers honored for their “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements.”
Image:: Top row (left to right), William Beltran, Brian Gregory, Insup Lee, Guo-li Ming; Bottom row (left to right), Eric Schelter, Theodore Schurr, Warren Seider, Karen Winey (https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/eight-Penn-professors-elected-2022-AAAS-fellows).
April 2023 Publication
Body Size Variation in Adult Male Orangutans
Kralick A, O’Connell C, Bastian M, Hoke MK, Zemel BS, Schurr TG, Tocheri MW. 2023. Body size variation among adult males and its implications for sexual dimorphism in orangutans (Pongo spp.). Integr Comp Biol 63(4):907-921. Link
Image: Bornean male orangutan (https://theconversation.com/we-surveyed-borneos-orangutans-and-found-100-000-had-disappeared-91944)
May 2023 Publication
Genomic Diversity of Colonists at Avery’s Rest
Fleskes RE, Owsley DW, Cabana GS, Bruwelheide KS, Barc KG, Griffith DR, Schurr TG. 2023. Historic genomes elucidate European settlement and African diaspora in Delaware.Curr Biol 33: 1–8. Link
Image: Map of Delaware within North America with Avery’s Rest archaeological site marked by a star; Figure 1 from Fleskes et al. (2019).
August 2023 Publication
Evolution of JC polyomavirus
Pereson MJ, Sanabria DJ, Mojsiejczuk LN, Torres C, Liotta DJ, Campos RH, Schurr TG, Di Lello FA, Badano I. 2023. Evolutionary analysis of JC polyomavirus provides new insights into the diversity of Misiones’ population. Virol 585:100-108. Link
Image: Three dimensional structure of an SV40 particle at 3.1 Å resolution obtained using X-ray diffraction (Protein Data Base ID 1SVA: Stehle et al., 1996).
November 2023 Publication
Genomic Diversity in Mingrelians (Georgia)
Schurr TG, Shengelia R, Shamoon-Pour M, Chitanava D, Laliashvili S, Laliashvili I, Kibret R. Kume-Kangolo Y, Akhvlediani I, Mathieson I, Yardumian A. 2023. Genetic analysis of Mingrelians reveals long-term continuity of populations in western Georgia (Caucasus). Genome Biol Evol 15(11):evad198. Link
Image: Georgian Orthodox church at the Martvili monastery (Samegrelo). Photo credit: T.G. Schurr
May 2024 Publication
Activist community-engaged archaeology
Gilmore JA, Ofunniyin AA, Oubré OL, Fleskes RE, Schurr TG. 2024. “The dead have been awakened in the service of the living”: Activist community-engaged archaeology in Charleston, SC. Amer Antiq 89(2):165–184. Link
Image: Children of the Watoto Academy of Meeting Street Schools followed the Oyotunji community to the reinterment site. Photo credit: Raquel Fleskes.
September 2024 Publication
Oral health and microbiome diversity
Fleskes RE, Johnson SJ, TP Honap, Abin CA, Gilmore JK, Oubré L, Bueschgen W, Abel S, Ofunniyin AA, Lewis CM, Schurr TG. 2024. Oral health and microbiome diversity in 18th-century African descended individuals from Charleston, South Carolina. Commun Biol 7:1213. Link
Image: The Anson Street African Burial Ground site map displaying burial numbering and dental calculus information; Figure 1 from Fleskes et al. (2024).
October 2024 Publication
Human Biology Research Methods
Friedrich VK, Hoke MK, Schurr TG. 2024. Conducting human biological research using invasive clinical samples: Methods, strengths, and limitations. Am J Hum Biol First published: 27 October 2024 Link
Image: Biological sample collection, processing, storage and information management. From Vaught JB and Henderson MK. 2011. IARC Scientific Publications 163:23-42.
January 2025 Publication
Immersive Videography for aDNA Teaching
Fleskes RE, Gilmore JK, Oubré L, Ofunniyin AA, Cabana G, Schurr TG. 2025. Immersive videography of ancient DNA extraction methods for community engagement and educational initiatives by the Anson Street African Burial Ground Project. Am J Biol Anthropol 186(1):e25055. Link
Image: A photo showing Raquel Fleskes suited in personal protective equipment (PPE) and washing her gloved hands with bleach solution.
January 2025 Publication
The Peopling of the Caucasus
Yardumian A, Schurr TG. 2025. The Peopling of the Caucasus: Early Human Settlement at the Crossroads of Continents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Link